Festival and Events Strategy

In Fall 2004, the City retained the consulting services of Cameron Hawkins & Associates Inc. and the Tourism Company to undertake a 5 Year Festivals and Events Strategy for the City. This direction came from the City’s Strategic Plan, Future Focus VI – Pillars for Success. Due to the timing of the new waterfront construction and program development, this phase of the overall Strategy focuses on the downtown waterfront.

The goals and objectives of the Downtown Waterfront Implementation Plan (August, 2003) and the proposed Tourism Vision (February, 2003) established the parameters and determined specific deliverables for this work.

Scope:

The City-wide Festivals and Events Strategy has been divided into the following phases:

• Phase 1: Downtown Waterfront Strategy
• Phase 2: City-wide Strategy
• Phase 3: 5 Year Implementation Plan

Phase 1 included the following tasks:

• Background Research/Best Practices
• Market Overview
• Review of existing policies, procedures and other related documents/reports
• Stakeholder consultation – focus group sessions
• Development of Strategic Options
• Staffing and Budget Implications
• Strategy Recommendations

Phase 1 Goals:

The Phase 1 Draft Strategy is based on the following goals contained in the Council-approved Downtown Waterfront Implementation Plan:

• Create an urban waterfront experience unique to Burlington
• Create a year-round regional destination known for quality and excellence
• Increase the participation, attendance and length of stay of waterfront users
• Increase diversity of waterfront festivals, events, and performances
• Create a unified downtown waterfront that is linked to its surrounding area

These goals set the strategic direction for the Phase 1 Draft Strategy.

Process:

The table below outlines the process that staff and the consultants undertook in developing this Draft Strategy:

Deliverables:

• Produce a 5 year strategy for downtown waterfront festivals and events
• Confirm the roles and responsibility of the City
• Identify the synergies and linkages between the Draft Strategy and other related initiatives
• Develop a framework for determining rates and fees
• Develop a 5 Year Implementation Plan Framework

PDF Documents

• Report PR 24/05 - Festival and Events Strategy
• Festival and Events Strategy - Phase 1 Executive Summary
• Festival and Events Stragety - Phase 1 Report

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